Well, I’ve seen another race horse movie that I can recommend. It’s dated 2007 on Netflix, but I don’t recall hearing anything about it until it came out on DVD. Set in 1973-1975, Ruffian is the true story of the remarkable filly of the same name. Like Dreamer and Seabiscuit, some tough things happen in this movie, as they did in real life. I had crocodile tears going on at the end of this one, and my throat was swollen up tight. If you watch this, have lots of tissues handy. You’ll need them.
I can remember when Ruffian was racing. I don’t recall if I watched the match race between her and Foolish Pleasure. I think I would remember if I saw that live, but maybe not.
Oh, one funny thing. I didn’t pay any attention to who the star of the show was when the DVD arrived (not sure how long it was in my Netflix queue). Whitely was Ruffian’s trainer, a regular guy with glasses and crooked teeth. I was sure the actor was wearing false teeth and that his nose was fake, but I couldn’t tell who it was to save me. When the show was done, I looked at the movie description. Sam Shepherd — an actor whose work I always enjoy — plays Whitely. Now that I know I can see through the cosmetic changes, but I couldn’t before.
-rlh-
